Probing single secretory vesicles with capillary electrophoresis.
Secretory vesicles obtained from the atrial gland of the gastropod mollusk Aplysia californica were chemically analyzed individually with a combination of optical trapping, capillary electrophoresis separation, and a laser-induced fluorescence detection. With the use of optical trapping, a single vesicle that had attoliters (10(-18) liters) of volume was introduced into the tapered inlet of a separation capillary. Once the vesicle was injected, it was lysed, and its components were fluorescently labeled with naphthalene-2, 3-dicarboxaldehyde before separation. The resultant electropherograms indicated distinct variations in the contents of single vesicles.
Chiu
D T
DT
Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
Lillard
S J
SJ
Scheller
R H
RH
Zare
R N
RN
Rodriguez-Cruz
S E
SE
Williams
E R
ER
Orwar
O
O
Sandberg
M
M
Lundqvist
J A
JA
D000588:Amines / Q000032:analysis*; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D001048:Aplysia / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000737:chemistry*; D019075:Electrophoresis, Capillary; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D009281:Naphthalenes; D010455:Peptides / Q000032:analysis; D011190:Potassium Cyanide; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013654:Taurine / Q000032:analysis*
D000588:Amines; D000596:Amino Acids; D009281:Naphthalenes; D010455:Peptides; D013654:Taurine; C027717:2,3-naphthalenedicarboxaldehyde; D011190:Potassium Cyanide